It's already been a very exciting week here in DC -- we’ve had a historic day of civil disobedience, followed by powerful testimony on Capitol Hill, but by far the biggest event is tomorrow. It's starting to build already -- I've been seeing tweets and emails about buses that are on the road even now from the farthest points of the country.

This is about letting our leaders know that there’s no room for half measures or empty rhetoric anymore, but it’s just as much about a chance to see our big, diverse, beautiful movement standing together.

People who have been on the front lines of a hundred different crucial fights around the country are coming together to speak with one voice, and we will be demonstrating that there really is a movement around climate change in this country -- a big, active, determined one.

You may be reading this on one of those buses that's already rolling, or with friends making signs preparing for the big day, or perhaps you're one of the folks who made it here to DC early -- but two things are sure: that we are all in this together, and that we will look beautiful doing it.

All of the details of the day have been skillfully worked out by the organizing team here, all you need to do is dress warm, wear plenty of layers, and bring a voice to shout with. We’re going to make ourselves heard.

"What happens when you’ve had enough of oil companies illegally passing pipelines through your tribal land? You practice self-determination and your sovereign rights to occupy that land. That is exactly what a group of Red Lake Tribal members are doing.

"In a small town called Leonard in northern Minnesota, a traditional camp has been set up by Red Lake tribal members, allies and supporters. Lodging is in a tipi and a sacred fire is burning 24/7. The occupation started Thursday afternoon, February 28th and is still going strong today, Sunday, March 3rd. There is a safety law concerning oil pipelines that states nothing or no one can be above a pipeline for 72 hours or the pipeline will have to be shut off. The occupation is seeking to stop the oil flowing through their pipeline, for good. The 72-hour mark passed today, but no pipelines were turned off."

"On January 23rd through 25th 2013 we co-hosted the Gathering to Protect the Sacred from the Tar Sands and Keystone XL Pipeline. Here are two remarkable videos.

"The first video is the Grand Council Signing Ceremony that took place on Friday, January 25th with assembled Elected Leadership, Treaty Council Members, Traditional Leaders, Societies, and their Allies signing the International Treaty to Protect the Sacred from Tar Sands Projects. The video features Tantoo Cardinal, Chief Rueben George, Chief Arvol Looking Horse, Faith Spotted Eagle, Chief Phil Lane Jr., and others."

"The second video is an overview and background on how the Gathering and this new International Treaty to Protect the Sacred from Tar Sands Projects came into form as told by Faith Spotted Eagle, Brave Heart Society member and First Native American woman to sign such a treaty! This video was recorded and produced by Ashley Young from the Feather Project:"

COALITION OF NATIVE ACTIVISTS WITHDRAW SUPPORT FROM KXL TRUTHFORCE CONCERT IN NORMANCasey Camp, Ponca"Before long, we began to see a pattern that has played out repeatedly: Non-Indians armed with a savior complex, condescending tones and a penchant to show us a better way to do things, begin to plan strategy and events for us."

Wednesday, March 13, 2013 Censored News http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.comBen Carnes, ChoctawWe are a coalition of Native activists from all directions in Oklahoma. We have organized on crucial issues throughout the 1970s, 80s, 90s, even to this day. We were reared in Native traditional ways. We have traveled and worked locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. We do not hide behind shady names or elusive missions. We must be accountable to our community. We will be open and transparent. We will attach our names to this statement and to events we organize. We know it is the right way, among Native people when we travel outside our home communities to assist others, the people of that community take the lead on any strategies to address their issues.

The IDLE NO MORE movement began in Canada with four women, one a Non-Native. A call went out to Native communities in the U.S. to assist by holding instantaneous singing and round dancing in public places to call attention to serious human and environmental health concerns in Canada. It became our rallying cry, too, because we, in the U.S., suffer serious human and environmental health issues caused by abuse of our Mother Earth, our natural world and her resources, by exploitative industries.

A primary potential threat that stretches from the Boreal Forest of Canada, down through the Great Plains into Oklahoma and on to the Gulf of Mexico, is the Keystone XL pipeline owned by the foreign, Canadian corporation, TransCanada. Before INM became a rallying point, activists, community groups, and landowners all along the pipeline route, and in Oklahoma, publicly questioned the safety of the pipeline.

Too, the legality of a foreign corporation or country’s use of imminent domain to cross private lands and the lack of free, prior and informed consent to seize tribally owned lands, as required by the U.S. and Canada when both endorsed the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, offends many here.

Some tribes were notified as far back as 2008 that the pipeline was coming.BUT, notification is NOT consultation or CONSENT. Oil and gas operations threaten Native communities and sacred sites with little or no compensation for the incalculable risks imposed by controversial practices like hydro-fracturing, or fracking, of Earth in earthquake zones; returning to the groundwater millions of gallons of fracking waste-water tainted with life-threatening benzene and toluene; huge pipelines running through pasture and playgrounds and beneath streams and creek beds; and, more concerns.

It is obvious that the need for clean water, air, soil, and food is imperative for the health of all people and all children for generations to come. Therefore, in an attempt to build coalitions across racial and other social strata, we invited our Non-Native allies to join us here in Oklahoma because the potential disasters from the pipeline present numerous human concerns.

Before long, we began to see a pattern that has played out repeatedly: Non-Indians armed with a savior complex, condescending tones and a penchant to show us a better way to do things, begin to plan strategy and events for us. We just show up and hand over the imaginary strings attached to our bodies, which they manipulate until the show’s over. They don’t ask for input from us, they even tell us which Indians will participate: this week that Indian is in. Next week, he’s out and another is in.

In the world of community organizing and coalition-building, there are agreements and understandings upon which the coalition is based. If one is a true organizer, attempting to bring communities together, they know this is the foundation of coalition-building.

If you are a Non-Native, and you want to come into our community to help us fight a fight, you offer your support; you list what you have to bring to the effort; and then, you ask how to help.

In the past weeks of INM rallies and round dances, many Non-Native allies have stepped forward. We’d like to think all have good intentions. However, two with stark differences stand out.

The first, an organized group, Great Plains Tar Sands Resistance, has consistently acted in an appropriate manner. It identified its members; met with us in person; offered monetary donations; organizing skills like non-violent, direct action training; meeting venues; and, asked for input with every step as to what their role in supporting our efforts would look like.

The other, KXL Pipeline Truthforce Coalition, has consistently acted in remarkable contrast that signaled questionable intentions from the beginning. KXLTC announced it would hold a concert for the Indians fighting KXL; began to plan the concert without input from the Oklahoma Native activists working on the pipeline issues for more than a year while living in close proximity to the KXL; avoided relevant questions put to them by several of us about who is in charge of their “group,” as there is no leadership noted on the KXLTC’s Facebook page, only a fuzzy statement about a group concerned with telling the truth (as far as we can determine, it is a husband and wife team with one other person.).

Our interests in knowing the KXLTC leadership and assessing the real motivation of KXLTC’s intentions is relevant, is pertinent and IS REQUIRED on our part, considering the infamous history of provocateurs who infiltrate and agitate to perform illegal acts, and dissension-agitators exposed within past activist movements. KXLTC gave us vague, condescending answers to questions we posted on their page about leadership; invited first, one Native to speak and then kicked out that speaker who was replaced with another; planned the agenda of the concert with no input from Native activists who have fought the pipeline issue for months; and, more.

Frustrated by our repeated attempts to get some straight answers, an integral team member of KXLTC placed a call to a member of Resistance to lament about the “petty” political infighting of Indians. After all, it would be one white guy speaking, albeit derogatively, in presumed confidence to just another white guy, who would surely share KXLTC’s lowly opinion of trying to help a bunch of dysfunctional, aging, fame-seeking Indian activists, right? And, to summarize, the aging Indian activists will show anyway - just to be seen at such a high-profile event and for a photo-op with Buffy Sainte-Marie, he said to GPTSR.

However, the KXLTC’S rep did not understand he was speaking to a HUMAN in the GPTSR rep, who’s interests are not in saving us or teaching us better ways to handle our own issues, and sees Native allies as equals. KXLTC does not get that to help a community, you are to take that community’s lead, even if you do hold the strings to the pocketbook.

Those are but a few of the primary tenets of coalition-building, along with: WE SPEAK FOR OURSELVES.

For those stated reasons and more, we, the attached signatories, have withdrawn our voices and our support for the KXL Pipeline Truth Force coalition concert and “educational” event scheduled for March 24 at Andrews Park in Norman, Oklahoma, featuring Buffy Sainte-Marie and Mato Nanji of Indigenous.

While dedicated to standing with true allies and committed to continued opposition to the foreign invasion, occupation, and land theft in the U.S. of Native and Non-Native lands and future generations’ health, safety and peace of mind, we in no way are withdrawing from the KXL opposition, only the event of March 24.

We hold sacred our relationships with Non-Native allies who show real knowledge of coalition-building and equality. We will stand with them as human beings, all equal.

#RLblockade Nizhawendaamin Inaakiminaan (We Love Our Land) is a group of Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, joined by blockaders and solidarity activists. The encampment is located in Northern Minnesota near the town of Leonard. Tom Poorbear, vice president of the Ogalala Sioux Nation declared, "We fully support the Red Lake Nation and its members who are opposing the Enbridge pipeline to stop the flow and remove the illegal pipeline from their land." The occupation of the Red Lake Ceded Land began Thursday, February 28. Similar action camps around the United States have been fighting the fossil fuel industry to stop the destruction of sacred lands. Red Lake tribal members demand the immediate shutdown of the flow through the pipes and intend to remain on the land until their demand is met. "I imagine everyone involved in the planetwide resistance to fossil fuel is watching them with thanks," said Bill McKibben founder of 350.org and leader of the recent Forward on Climate Rally. Chief Bill Erasmus of the Dene First Nation stated, "We fully support and are inspired by the Red Lake members and their resistance as it is stated in the Mother Earth Accord; affirming our responsibility to protect and preserve for our descendants, the inherent sovereign rights of our indigenous nations, the rights of property owners, and all inherent human rights." Most band members were unaware of Enbridge's illegal activity until the encampment started. "When I was informed about the illegal trespassing of the company Enbridge on my homeland, I knew there was something I could do. I started calling as many Red Lakers as I could to try and make them aware," said Angie Palacio who initiated the encampment with the support of the Indigenous Environmental Network.

A few minutes ago, Debra White Plume of Owe Aku (Bring Back the Way) presented before the Oglala Sioux Tribe Tribal Council on a grassroots resolution to STOP THE KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE from crossing the 1851 and 1868 Treaty Territory of the Lakota Oyate. It was evident that the facts being presented by Debra not only supported opposition to the pipeline, but what was equally evident was the success of education and training Owe Aku developed at many different gatherings over the past several months including Moccasins on the Ground and continued training at two other sites in the next few weeks. President Brian Brewer of the Oglala Sioux Tribe also spoke strongly in favor of the Resolution and told the people that if it came to a blockade he would stand with the people.The Council Resolution supported the Black Hills Sioux Nation Treaty Council's own resolution protecting Sacred Water, citing international law, especially the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Declaration's articles on environment, culture, self-determination, and free, prior and informed consent were all quoted, as well as Article 37 on treaty observance. As always, Debra spoke eloquently and the Council passed the resolution ALL in FAVOR with one individual not-voting.Our Lakota people are coming together NOW, from all over, in opposition to this dire threat to Unci Maka along with our many allies and supporters. Wopila.

By Any Means Necessary: it is the legal right of the People of the Oceti Sakowin under International agreements to which the united states of america is a signatory to defend ourselves against american and canadian aggression in the form of that xlt tarsands pipeline... parts of which have already been illegally constructed on dakota territory and must be removed.

"Lift up your hatchets; raise your knives; sight your rifles! Have no fears--your lives are charmed! Stand up to the foe; he is a weakling and a coward! Fall upon him! Leave him to the wolves and the buzzards!"

By Any Means Necessary: it is the legal right of the People of the Oceti Sakowin under International agreements to which the united states of america is a signatory to defend ourselves against american and canadian aggression in the form of that xlt tarsands pipeline... parts of which have already been illegally constructed on dakota territory and must be removed.

There has been another leak in the pipeline but what else could be expected when it is made like this? Keystone XL is full of holes:

Exxon Mobil has shut a crude oil pipeline after it ruptured near Mayflower, Ark., spilling thousands of barrels of oil, the company said.

The 20-inch Pegasus pipeline ruptured on late Friday afternoon and a few thousand barrels of oil had been observed, Exxon said in a statement. Local media reported the spill occurred in a subdivision.

Federal, state and local officials were on site, and the company was preparing a response for a spill of more than 10,000 barrels.

The Environmental Protection Agency had categorized the rupture as a "major spill," Exxon said, and 22 homes were evacuated following the incident. Clean-up crews had recovered approximately 4,500 barrels of oil and water.

Great Plains Tarsands Resistance is comprised of many organizations. “We are not little organizations working in isolation, we are working collectively across the country to stop this desecration,” said Camp, who served as “Eyapaha” (announcer), engaging folks in workshops, plenary sessions, and social gatherings.

“We collaborated to develop and adopt the Treaty to Protect the Sacred at our Gathering in February. We are happy to meet allies here and continue our work to protect the sacred,” said Faith Spotted Eagle, from the Yankton, SD Homelands. “We are going to Ottawa, Canada, to make more allies and strengthen our Treaty.” Moccasins on the Ground Tour of Resistance will be in the Yankton area April 5-7, 2013.

In this interview journalist Greg Palast ties the Keystone XL pipeline to the Koch brother; the Koch brothers to inflated gas prices in the Caribbean; and Sen. John Kerry's hatred of Chavez to the soon to be approved Keystone XL pipeline. I was reading the other day in an article about climate that when the State Dept. solicited comments on the Keystone XL (I was one of the ones commenting) they didn't tell anyone that if you want to read them you have to file a FOIA in order to do so. That is not only costly but something that is now controlled by lobbyist, not the government.

Here is video of the new pipeline break in Arkansas. See it running down the street. It mentions that the pipeline is 40 years old. If the electronic "pig" in the pipe was doing its job it would have found the weakened pipe and could have been fixed before hand. This really is something to see:

On tonight's news the pipeline that broke in Arkansas is now being dated as 60 years old. That, and because the oil contains Dilbit, Exon is not responsible for the clean up "Because it is not oil." As in the Gulf, the terms barrels and gallons are being interchanged.

"This is the aerial video Exxon does not want people to see of the Arkansas tar sands oil spill. Tens of thousands of gallons of oil have flooded some of the streets and yards of Mayflower, Arkansas. The Exxon tar sands oil spill is small taste of what we would see if the Keystone XL Pipeline is approved. The media is largely being kept away from this spill. In the video you can see that Exxon's plan to clean it up consists mostly of hoses and paper towels. Go to http://www.NoKXL.org and http://www.350.org to learn more and lend your support to the fight of people over profit. UPDATE: The FAA has restricted flight over the area - http://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages"

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